John Winters
DRIVEN BY CURIOSITY
Since graduating from American University in 2011, John Winters knew he wanted to explore the commercial mortgage industry. Prior to joining Freddie Mac in 2015, he was working in the Single-Family division at Fannie Mae. Eager to leverage his knowledge of marketing and business, John looked to pivot his career to the multifamily side and eventually found a role that suited his expertise and interest in capital markets. After a few years, John set his sights on expanding his collegiate and professional experiences by taking advantage of the education incentives at Freddie Mac to pursue his master’s degree in real estate from Georgetown University.
Now John is a senior manager on the Multifamily Capital Markets Loan Pricing team, where no two days are the same as he is constantly learning from his peers. John works with various teams, such as production and underwriting to ensure Freddie Mac is curating deals that not only make the business profitable but also help support the overarching mission. While he is more on the managerial side, he still has the opportunity to “get his hands dirty” and work on specific deals.
When John is not in the office, you’ll likely find him chasing his toddler around the neighborhood playground. To try and integrate his family into their community, they enjoy perusing the local children’s museum and attending events at the community park in town.
John and his son during the holidays
Below John shares why working at Freddie Mac is so special
When you hear the word “community”, what do you think of?
A: When I first started at Freddie Mac, there were maybe five to six people on my team. Fast forward to present day, we have at least 15 team members. It has been an honor to see not only business grow, but also my peers. We have all been through so much together — Brexit and the COVID-19 — and it’s shaped how we communicate and work together. While those times were tough, it just proves how well we work together as a team. I also love how I can always rely and lean on them when I need help. I never feel like I’m imposing when I ask for clarification or advice on how to handle a situation.
What trait makes a great teammate?
A: I’m going to break this question down into two parts:
- Their ability to listen. I have found this trait to be a lost art. Everyone has their own tasks and problems. However, when people are able to listen to the task at hand and their peers, that’s when greatness happens. Often people feel the need to rush to a solution without actually hearing what needs to be solved. A good listener will be able to understand what’s important.
- The ability to teach. As you grow within Freddie Mac, you want to be able to adapt to your new role while helping others. For example, we just had an analyst join our team and it has been great to teach her my specific skill set while learning from her perspective as well. It has been so nice seeing my team members who were once new now teach new employees their personal expertise.
What do you like most about working at Freddie Mac?
A: To put it simply, the people. I’ve had the opportunity to work with various teams and it’s been a delight seeing those around me grow during their tenure here. I have seen promotions and accomplishments in the office and in their personal lives. Being close to my team means seeing those around me become parents, buy their first homes and get married. I am eager to come in every day to continue learning from my peers both professionally and personally. I work with some pretty fascinating people.
Ten years from now, what would you like to say you accomplished here?
A: That I provided something valuable to the Multifamily Loan Pricing team. Every day I do my best to share my skillset with my team as I want my knowledge to pass forward at Freddie Mac. It’s not only important to know your role at Freddie Mac, but to also understand where you fit into the overall business. People will come and go, but while they’re here, I want to make my mark.